The Balance of Brothers

Canto III: Duke the Weimaraner

The day began as usual: Dylan pacing the living room, scribbling philosophical notes on a yellow legal pad, while Nick reclined on the couch, scratching Duke, his loyal Weimaraner, behind the ears. The dog, a sleek silver-gray with an air of regal indifference, seemed to embody everything Dylan despised—calmness, loyalty, and a baffling contentment with the mundane."Duke," Dylan muttered, watching the dog stretch luxuriously, "is the perfect symbol of mediocrity. Look at him. Not a care in the world. No ambition, no desire to rise above his station."Nick glanced up, raising an eyebrow. "He's a dog, Dylan.""That's exactly my point!" Dylan exclaimed, throwing his pen down in frustration. "He's a creature of habit. Eats, sleeps, wags his tail. He's the physical embodiment of humility."Nick smirked, giving Duke a pat on the head. "And yet, somehow, he's smarter than you."Dylan's face turned bright red. "Smarter? That slobbering, tail-chasing—""Calm down," Nick interrupted, chuckling. "I'm just saying Duke doesn't waste his energy on things he can't control. He's happy with what he's got. You could learn something from him."Dylan groaned and flopped onto the armchair. "Of course, you'd think a dog is the pinnacle of wisdom."Duke, as if on cue, trotted over to Dylan, sat at his feet, and stared up at him with soulful eyes. Dylan glared back."Don't look at me like that," Dylan said, waving a hand dismissively. "I know your game. You're just another tool of Nick's incessant humility propaganda."Nick laughed. "Maybe he's trying to tell you something. You know, dogs are excellent judges of character.""Ha! If that were true, he wouldn't be your dog," Dylan shot back, crossing his arms.---Later that day, Dylan hatched a plan. If he couldn't outsmart Nick, perhaps he could undermine him by proving that Duke wasn't as wise—or as loyal—as Nick believed. The plan was simple: entice Duke with a treat, lure him away from Nick, and demonstrate once and for all that even the most "humble" beings could be tempted by ambition.Dylan raided the kitchen, finally settling on a slice of ham. He waved it in front of Duke's nose, whispering, "Come on, Duke. Let's see how loyal you really are."Duke's tail wagged furiously as he followed Dylan into the backyard, clearly more interested in the ham than in any philosophical debate. Dylan crouched down, holding the slice just out of reach."See?" Dylan muttered triumphantly. "Even you have ambition. You want the ham. You'll do anything to get it. You're just like me."But as Dylan extended the ham, Duke suddenly paused, his ears perking up. He turned his head toward the house, where Nick's voice was calling out, "Duke! C'mere, boy!"Without hesitation, Duke abandoned the ham and bolted toward the back door, his loyalty to Nick overriding any momentary temptation.Dylan stared at the slice of ham in disbelief. "Traitor," he muttered under his breath.---When Dylan returned to the house, he found Nick sitting on the couch, grinning as Duke lay sprawled across his lap. The dog looked utterly content, his tail thumping lazily against the cushions."How'd your experiment go?" Nick asked, not even trying to hide his amusement."It wasn't an experiment," Dylan snapped. "It was a... test of loyalty."Nick chuckled. "And what did you learn?"Dylan glared at him. "Nothing I didn't already know. Duke's just another cog in your machine of mediocrity."Nick shook his head, still smiling. "Or maybe he's just smart enough to know where he belongs.""Oh, spare me the sermon," Dylan said, throwing himself onto the armchair. "Your dog is a sycophant. That's not wisdom. That's instinct.""Call it what you want," Nick replied, scratching Duke behind the ears. "But he's happy. And that's more than I can say for you."Dylan opened his mouth to retort but stopped himself. He glanced at Duke, who was now fast asleep, and for a fleeting moment, he envied the dog's peace of mind. But the thought passed as quickly as it came."I'll take ambition over happiness any day," Dylan said finally, crossing his arms.Nick leaned back, his grin widening. "And that's why Duke will always be smarter than you."